Alginate is a biopolymer that has exceptional gelling properties, which allow easy gel formation under safe and mild conditions. Consequently, it is often used to encapsulate a variety of cargos, such as cells, enzyme...Alginate is a biopolymer that has exceptional gelling properties, which allow easy gel formation under safe and mild conditions. Consequently, it is often used to encapsulate a variety of cargos, such as cells, enzymes, and lipids, and is typically employed as a model to study hydrogel-based encapsulation sys- tems. Since the first use of alginate in the encapsulation field in the 1970s, many methods have been developed to produce alginate hydrogel particles of different sizes, structures, and morphologies. This review provides an overview of the current progress in the fabrication of alginate hydrogels with vari- ous particle designs, including a discussion of dispersion techniques to pre-template alginate particles, gelation mechanisms, considerations in selecting suitable fabrication methods, and future directions.展开更多
Rapid industrial developments coupled with surging population growth have complicated issues dealing with water scarcity as the quest for clean and sanitized water intensifies globally. Existing flesh water supplies c...Rapid industrial developments coupled with surging population growth have complicated issues dealing with water scarcity as the quest for clean and sanitized water intensifies globally. Existing flesh water supplies could be contaminated with organic, inorganic and biological matters that have potential harm to the society. Turbidity in general is a measure of water cloudiness induced by such colloidal and suspended matters and is also one of the major criteria in raw water monitoring to meet the stipulated water quality guidelines. Turbidity reduction is often accomplished using chemical coagulants such as alum. The use of alum is widely associated with potential development of health issues and generation of voluminous sludge. Natural coagulants that are available in abundance can certainly be considered in addressing the drawbacks associated with the use of chemical coagulants. Twenty one types of plant-based natural coagulants categorized as fruit waste and others are identified and presented collectively with their research summary in this review. The barriers and prospects of commercialization of natural coagulants in near future are also discussed.展开更多
文摘Alginate is a biopolymer that has exceptional gelling properties, which allow easy gel formation under safe and mild conditions. Consequently, it is often used to encapsulate a variety of cargos, such as cells, enzymes, and lipids, and is typically employed as a model to study hydrogel-based encapsulation sys- tems. Since the first use of alginate in the encapsulation field in the 1970s, many methods have been developed to produce alginate hydrogel particles of different sizes, structures, and morphologies. This review provides an overview of the current progress in the fabrication of alginate hydrogels with vari- ous particle designs, including a discussion of dispersion techniques to pre-template alginate particles, gelation mechanisms, considerations in selecting suitable fabrication methods, and future directions.
基金Monash University Malaysia for providing the research scholarship
文摘Rapid industrial developments coupled with surging population growth have complicated issues dealing with water scarcity as the quest for clean and sanitized water intensifies globally. Existing flesh water supplies could be contaminated with organic, inorganic and biological matters that have potential harm to the society. Turbidity in general is a measure of water cloudiness induced by such colloidal and suspended matters and is also one of the major criteria in raw water monitoring to meet the stipulated water quality guidelines. Turbidity reduction is often accomplished using chemical coagulants such as alum. The use of alum is widely associated with potential development of health issues and generation of voluminous sludge. Natural coagulants that are available in abundance can certainly be considered in addressing the drawbacks associated with the use of chemical coagulants. Twenty one types of plant-based natural coagulants categorized as fruit waste and others are identified and presented collectively with their research summary in this review. The barriers and prospects of commercialization of natural coagulants in near future are also discussed.
